BCN Retail data suggests buyers in Japan are resurrecting the ailing compact camera market against a backdrop of rising interchangeable lens prices
Compact cameras like the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS are selling very well in Japan. There's life in the old compact yet!(Image credit: Canon / Digital Camera World)
If, like me, you thought the compact camera market was dead in the water, think again. A report from BCN Retail – which gathers data from 2,400 electronics retailers across Japan – has revealed that over 60% of camera sales (within the Japanese domestic market) are compact cameras.
And while this figure is certainly surprising, it's not the first time data has suggested that compact cameras are making a comeback. But, the good news doesn’t mean compact cameras make for the lion’s share of revenue. After all, they’re generally cheaper than their interchangeable counterparts, BCN Retail clarifies: “Although the sales value composition ratio is small, ranging from the upper 20% to the lower 30% range, a certain level of sales continues.”
BCN Retail's graph shows the sales volume manufacturer share (left axis) and sales volume composition ratio (right axis) from September 2021 to September 2024 (Image credit: BCN Retail)
The article highlights cameras such as the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS as being popular with consumers. But BCN Retail does note that: "Compact cameras (...) showed a slowdown, with sales figures slightly decreasing in September and October." However, its graph (above) shows how the sales volume composition ratio of compact cameras has risen in August and September of this year, beating 2023 and 2022. Indeed, September 2021 had a lower sales volume composition ratio than September 2024, also. With BCN Retail stating that: "October recorded a double-digit increase of 115.3%." In a nutshell, sales might be down, but rising compact camera prices are resulting in a bigger yield.
So why are people content with picking up compact cameras that are more expensive? Well, BCN Retail suggests this may be to do with the best mirrorless cameras becoming comparatively much more expensive: "With mirrorless cameras rising in price, it can be said that even relatively high-priced compact cameras have started to look cheap."
When it comes to the manufacturers' share of sales volume Canon is dominating. Its sales volume rose exponentially since May 2024 to what BCN Retail has calculated at 31.1% in September, with only a small blip between July and August. Kodak peaked in April – reaching the highest share of any manufacturer – but has since plummeted, with only a small rise between August and September, with Fujifilm and Kenko Tokina for company in September.
Interestingly, Fujifilm’s share has been on a largely downward trajectory since December 2023, but in September it was the best of the rest with a share of 13.4%. Kenko Tokina has been on a steady, largely, upward trend since September 2021 and while Ricoh has performed worst, it's also been the most consistent.
So, while the overall camera market certainly isn't growing, it's nice to see a bit of a win as far as the best compact cameras are concerned. Turns out, not everybody is content using the best camera phone to capture their day-to-day photos.
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Mike is Digital Camera World's How To Editor. He has over a decade of experience, writing for some of the biggest specialist publications including Digital Camera, Digital Photographer and PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine. Prior to DCW, Mike was Deputy Editor of N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine and Production Editor at Wex Photo Video, where he sharpened his skills in both the stills and videography spheres. While he's an avid motorsport photographer, his skills extend to every genre of photography – making him one of Digital Camera World's top tutors for techniques on cameras, lenses, tripods, filters and other imaging equipment – as well as sharing his expertise on shooting everything from portraits and landscapes to abstracts and architecture to wildlife and, yes, fast things going around race tracks...
